[Ansteorra] Pronunciation was Re: "Ansteorran: of or pertaining to the Kingdom of Ansteorra"

[HerrDetlef]

Your Excellency, the problem with "yore" is that stress is placed on the "o"
and not on the "e". In Old English diphthongs, stress is placed on the first
vowel of the cluster, and not on the second vowel. With the "eo" diphthong,
the "e" is pronounced as a long "e" (thanks to the fifteenth century vowel
shift, now the long "a", such as in "late"), and then the "o" is pronounced
as an unstressed schwa, like the "e" in "waiter".

Think again of the name "Beowulf". We don't pronounce it "beh-YO-woolf" but
as "BAY-uh-woolf". The same pronunciation rule should apply to the "eo" in
"Ansteorra". I think the dominant pronunciation (stressing the "o" and not
the "e") is a result of confusing the "eo" in "Beowulf" with the "eo" in
such Greek derivatives as "geometry".

Much of Old English is not music to anybody's modern ears...at least, until
you've had a chance to hear a lot of it. Then it becomes quite melodious.
Old English is even more gutteral than Modern High German. If you've ever
had a chance to hear the Hildebrandslied read (in Old High German), or
better yet, "Der Heliand" in Old LOW German, you might get a better taste of
what those old languages sound like.

As a grad student, I was told I should have no trouble reading Old English
since I knew German, but Old English isn't even close enough to Modern High
German to be that easy. Quite a lot of difference separates Old Low German
from Modern High German.

I had the great fortune in 2005 of hearing part of Beowulf read in Old
English at Trinity Church in Houston. I believe the performer who read it
was Benjamin Bagby. As he chanted the Old English text, Modern English
surtitles were displayed on a screen, but after a while, I quit reading the
titles and listened to the sound of the language. It's quite beautiful, once
you've gotten used to it.

On Sat, Mar 13, 2010 at 12:48 PM, John Hirling <jhirling at gmail.com> wrote:

> Correct me if I'm wrong - and I'm centain someone will :) - but if one can
> pronounce the word 'yore', one should have no trouble with the 'eo'
> diphthong.  An-STAIR-ra is not music to these ears.
> ~ihon
>
> "Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass . . .
> it's about learning how to dance in the rain!"
>
> Unknown (but I wish it had been me)
>
>
> On Sat, Mar 13, 2010 at 10:54 AM, Hugh & Belinda Niewoehner <
> burgborrendohl at valornet.com> wrote:
>
> > HerrDetlef wrote:
> >
> >> ...I've even suggested, if the "eo" is too difficult, to look at it as
> >> "an-STAIR-ra" (since the diphthong represented here by "ai" is very
> >> similar
> >> to the OE "eo" diphthong). It's been like talking to a brick wall. Maybe
> I
> >> haven't been loud enough.
> >>
> >>
> > I like that and will endeavor to start using it although it will probably
> > draw some strange looks.  It will also not 'ring' as well in many of the
> > traditional bardic pieces.  I've enjoyed this discussion not only for its
> > historical interest (as to the original intent in choosing the name) but
> > also the linguistic education.  Languages fascinate me although I am far
> > from an expert on any of them.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Ismet
> >
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-- 
He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
--Micah 6:8